Shock absorber



May 24, 1932. LOGAN 1,860,108

' SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Dec. 6, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 24, 1932. a I f LOGAN 1,860,108

SHOCK ABSORBER Filed liec. 6, 1928 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1932 I o mren ST TE-s A T ee H-E-NRYYH. LOGAN, OF 'CHIUAGQ, ILLINGIS 'sHooK ABSORBER Application filed December 6, i928. S eri al No. 324,119.

The present invention :relates to-shriek absorbers, and is particularlyconoerned with the 'provis ion of an improved hydraulicshock absorber;

One o f the objects ofthe invention is the provision'of'an improved shock absorber'ca'sing, including cover means for closing said casing,-andmeans "for releasing the'eXcessive pressure which would otherwise be builtup "v in parts of said coverand for returning the lealcage 'of'hydraulic 'iiitidfto areservoir.

Anotherob1ectof the invention '18 the provision of'a 'novel'olosure for shock absorber casings which does not require gaskets, and whichieliminatesany leakage of the-hydraulic fluid by including means for the collection and return of the hyd'raulicfluidj'which leaks past-the seatingsurface of said closure.

Another object is the nrovisiono f an improved form of an adjustable throttling mechanism for shock absorbers ofthe class described, which ismoreecoriomically manufactured and assembled and which provides a'Wide range of extremely. fineadjustme'nt.

Another object the "provision of an improved commercial "formof the shock absorb or shown in my prior Patent No. 1,693,340 on shock absorbers,issued November 27, 1928, including novel some of adjustment indicator and try-passes which simplify the manufacture of the device and decrease its cost of production.

Another object is the provision of a shock absorber casing of the'olass described, having leakage return conduits which are peculiarly simple and ecoi'iolnically manufactured in this type of shock absorber, 'requiringsubstan'tiaily no additional labor or expense in their manufacture. v

Other dbjects and .advan tages'of the invention 'svil'lb'e apparent from the following description and from the accompanying drawthroughout. the seve of "Fig. 8

- in whichsiin'ilarcharacters of reference absorber with a portion of the cover J broken away-toshowthe internal structure; 7

V Fig. 3 isaseCtional view takenfon the line 8+3 of Fig.2 leoking in'the direction of the arrows Fig. iis an end viewo'fthe shaftinFig. 3, showing the indicator for the throttling ad- ]ustmerlt;

is a sectional view-of a partof "the shock absorber casing taken on the line 55 of Fig? looking in'the direction'ofthe arrows; 7 Q

Fig.6 is an enlarged 'deta'ilview of the throttling mechanism"takenon the" line 'l66 with the throttli'ng mechanism in closed position; I p

Figfiisa similar viewwithfthe throttling mechanism in open position;

Fig. 8 is anenlarged'elevationjal View of a section'of the 'partitionand'a fixed vane show- F ing the'ghydraulic fluid feed valve'a nd one of the-'onefway 'bypasses;" V -F1'g.191s asectio'nal View taken on the line 99 offFig. SiIQ kinginthe direction ofthe I,

arrows Fig.10 age sectional'view taken on -the-li ne 110-:10 of Fig. 9'; V g. 11. is a detail s'ectional view ofjthe shock absorber Wall adjacent a fixed vane.

The present shock absorber is of the same 1 general type as that shown in my rior patent,"but includes novel'features which coopT crate With the various parts of'the shocfk ab- SOIb'I in'a n vel manner, and I desire it to tures of the present'applieation is not limited to the specific construction ofthe shock absorber employedfand many of the advantages of the invention may be realized by usingsofme of the novel features herein set casing 21 may be of'substantially cylindrical form having oi'itvvardlyextending lugs 24 1 provided with apertures "25 for securing the casingto the chassis 26 of avehicle, and the be understood thatthe usejof the novel feabe devoted to features which are novel in this embodiment and details which differ in the improved commercial device.

The present embodiment also includes a reservoir 27 formed in one end of the casing 21 by the inwardly projecting annular flanges 29 which form the bearing 23. The annular flange 29 is provided with a reduced cylindrical portion 30 forming'an annular shoulder 31 which is adapted to provide a support for a partition 32 which divides the casing 21 into the working chamber 33 and the reservoir 27. In the present embodiment, the working chamber 33 is provided with an interior cylindrical surface 34 which extends to the reservoir 27 and the shoulder 31 on the annular flange 29 acts as a stop member, determining the final position of the partition 32 which is pressed into a close frictional fit with the interior wall 34 of the casing 21.

The partition 32 carries a plurality of fixed vanes 35 extending radially of the circular partition 32 and the vanes 35 may be substantially wedge shape in plan, having a radially projecting portion 36 of reduced width extending outward beyond the outer edge of partition 32 for engagement in slots 37 formed in the casing 21. The projecting portions 36 of the fixed vanes 35 are slidably received in the slots 37, the rear edges 38 of the fixed vanes engaging the interior Walls 34 of the casing 21 adjacent the slots 37, and the projecting portions 36 of the fixed vanes serve to locate the partition and vanes more accurately in the working chamber 33 and'prevent any possibility of rotative movement of the fixed vanes.

In the present embodiment, the slots 37 Y which extend substantially parallel to the axis of the shock absorber have been made slightly deeper than the depth of the projecting portions 36 on the fixed vanes, there by forming conduits 39 which extend from the top of the fixed vanes to the opposite side of the partition 32, communicating with the reservoir 27. In other words, the slots surface machined to fit accurately within the cylindrical wall 34 of the casing 21. The inner edges 42 of the fixed vanes '35 are also formed with a concave cylindrical surface accurately machined to slidably engage the cylindrical surface 44 which forms the hub 41.

The upper edges (Fig. 3) of the fixed and movable vanes, as well as the hub 41 are substantially fiat and aligned with an annular shoulder 45 formed in the casing 21, and the open end 22 ofthe casing is adapted to be closed by a cover 46 having a lower flat surface 47 adapted to engage the edges of the fixed and movable vanes and the end of the hub 41. The hub 41 may be formed with a bore 48 adapted to enclose a throttling mechanism indicatedin its entirety at 49 anddescribed in detail hereinafter. The bore 48 is priatetool may be placed in the non-circular socket 53 of cover 46, and the cover may be threaded into casing 21 until the seating sur- 7 face 51 engages the seating surface 45 of the casing.

The cover 46 with the open end 22 of the casing is adapted to form a relatively small annular chamber or conduit 54 which is located inside the threads 52 of the cover and outside of the seating surfaces 45 and 51 relativeto the working chamber 33. The chamber or conduit 54 is adapted'to receive any leakage which may pass the seating surfaces 45 and 51 under the high pressure used in theworking chamber 33, and the annular chamber 54 is, so located that it is in communication with the conduits 39 formed by the bottom of the slots 37, which conduits 39 lead to the reservoir 27.

It should also be noted that one of the fixed vanes 35, specifically the bottom one in Fig. 2, is provided with a conduit 55 leading from the lower side (Fig. 3) of the partition 32 up to a transverse conduit 56 which extends to one side of the vane. The conduit 56 is normally maintained closed by a resilient metal leaf 57 which is secured to the fixed vane35 by a plurality of rivets 58. The conduits55 and 56 and the valve 57 are adapted to permit the replenishment of the supply of hydraulic fluid in the working chamber from the reserve supply which is maintained in the reservoir,substantially as described in my patent above mentioned.

Each of the fixed vanes 35 is provided with a one-way valved'iaperture awhich rmay consistqof'ahole 59 drilled rthrough the ifixed vane '35 xfrom one side/c0 :the other and ,closed on one side by a resilientleaf GOsecuredeby a ;plurality of rivets 61. The .one way'bypass valves 60 @are :all located on the same sideof the fixed 'vanes35, and they permit the hydraulic :fluid-to pass through 'the fixed vanes in .one direction, but prevent its return.

The working-chamber 33'is1also preferably provided with by-passes or leakager grooves 62 located at :the medial 'points between the fixed vane .35 and adapted to automatically by-pass'the hydraulic fluid when themovable vanes 40 are operating in normal position midway between the fixed vane-s. The bypasses or leakage grooves 62 maybe conveniently and :economically formed by applying amilling'cutterto the periphery of :the par- .titi0n'32 adjacentithe upper edgeor adjacent the face which forms the lower wall of the working chamber 38. The cutter will thus form aprecess 62 which is curved in plan as shown in F g. 2, and which isprovided with a flat bottom as shown'in Fig. 5, andthe recess-cs 62.are.tapered.so.as to permit a maximum by-pass of hydraulic fluid when the movable vanestare at the middleposition.

The partition 32 is also provided \witha-n air passage or bleeder 63 whiclrmay consist of anextremely small aperture, as for example, a one-thirty-second (71/32) .inchhole located at the extreme upper edgeof-thepartition 32 as shown in Fig.2. The purposeof the air passage 63 is to permit the air tobe automatically exhausted to the reservoir 27 and .thepassages located at the top of the shock absorber workingchamber as installed in Fig. 1, since the'bubbles in the hydraulic fluid will naturally find their way to the top.

The shaft ,23 is preferably provided with a flanged packing 64 located inacounterbore and vbeveled to be automatically forced against the shaft 29 by any hydraulic fluid leaking through the .bearing23. The outer edge or flange of the packingfi .isrclamped to the casing 21 by agland=65 substantially as described in my patent. The reservoir is provided with a filling plug'66. I i

The present embodiment is preferably pro yided with a throttling mechanism substantially similar in operation to that disclosed in my prior patent, but the present throttling mechanism is adaptedto'be manufactured at a .much slower cost and with considerablyless labor. Each ofthemovzible vanes provided with a pair of 'by-passes167 extending from the outside of the hub 4a to the bore 48 and the by-passes 67 are locatedone on each side of each movable vane 40. The 'throte tling device indicated in its ent rety at 49 comprises a rod 68 which-is adapted :tobe rotatably received in .a bore 69 extending axially of the shaft 29 and communicating withthe bore 48 The rod 68 carriessatiits inner end in the bore 48 an assembly which forms a :plurality :of grooves .70 tapering in cross section, -and each of "the grooves 70 is adapted to register .Wl ihifl pair-10f ,by passes 67 :at the same :time'theother grooves, 70 are registeringwithotherzbyepassesr67. For-this purpose, it is xnecessaryto offset eeach pair of by-passes 67 axially of each other to register with their respective grooves 70.

The {throttling mechanism 49,: may be simplyand :economically :constructed' by rbuilding up ithezstructure zatrits'end of aplurality of metal plates 71, 72, 73, 74 and :75. lhe' plates 71 :and 75 comprise spacingmembers, andnf desired, these spacing'rmembers ;ma y

be madezto fit accurately'within theioylin'drical bore 48 ,so as to form the outer wall of thegroovesfl). Theplates 72, 7.3 and 714 may. comprise circular metal; plates having 1 avcylindrical outer'edge 7 6 overa major portion of the periphery :and .having .av portion cut away as at 70 gtoiconform-to the -shape -of thewtaperedgrooves desired. The cutout 70 mayzextend :over. such portion of {the pe'riphr any asjdesired, depending upon the [fineness of adjustment desired, and in general, the longer the taper, 'therfiner will be theadjustment. In the present embodiment, the-cutout portion. extends over; substantially ,onethwrd ofthe periphery -tosimpli fy the :.de-

scription and illustrationlof:thedevice. The

plates 71 to '75 may rest. The assembly of plates may then ,be provided with apertures complementary to the flattened .end77jand the assembly may be secured on the rodby riveting over :the enda-s at 79. The opposite end of the shaft29 may be'providedwith ,a counterbore 80 adapted to :receive a packing 81Hand with a threaded counterbore 82,-to receive a gland 83 substantially as described in :my patent. The outer. end of therod 68 may be provided with a reduced non-cireu lar portion adapted to, receive a metal 'in d-icatorplate 851' comprising a substantially circular metal plate havinga pair of pro,- jecting' pointers 85 forming a 'forki86adapted to embrace any one of a plurality refindicia87. 1

Th ,7 indicator platest is secured to red .68

bya nut 88 threaded on the reduced threaded end of the-rod 68. V Theouter endtofi'the shaft 29 is provided with a plurality ,ofindicia 87 comprising numerals or other characters impressed in the end of the shaft at regularly spaced intervals on a circle about the rod 68.

The shaft may also be provided with a A be received in a split-socket in the lever 90 which is provided with a bolt 91 extending transversely to its splitend to clamp the lever on the shaft 29. The bolt 91 is preferably so located that it willengage in a groove 92 located in the shaft 29 so as to prevent positively axial movement of the lever 90 relative to the shaft 29 when the bolt 91 is in place. The present shock absorber is preferably rovided with three movable vanes and three flxed vanes as distinguished from the shock absorbers of the prior art, in which it has been customary to use but two movable vanes. The three movable vanes are adapted to automatically center and align the rotatable shaft at one end because three points determine the location of a circle, and consequently the location of its center. At the same time, by increasing the number of vanes, I am enabled to substantially reduce the pressure which is used in the shock absorber, to such an extent that the casing and other parts may be constructed of cast iron as distinguished from steel, which has been necessary in the prior art. The shock absorbers having a lessnumber of vanes, require such a high pressure that the hydraulic fluid escapes through the pores of the cast iron and steel must be employed, since the hydraulic fluid would otherwise be lost by sweating of the s'hockabsorber.

The working chambers are also of substantially greater width and depth than the working chambers of the prior art, and by the pro vision of three vanes and an increased area on the fixed and movable vane's, I am enabled to provide a shock absorber which willoperate satisfactorily at a substantially reduced operating-pressure.

This is' a Very important advantage as many of the diflioulties involved in the manufacture-and maintenance of hydraulic shock absorbers are caused by the excessively high pressures at which theseshock absorbers must operate, and by the provision of a low pressure shock absorber I have elimin'ateddiffiv culties resulting from leakage, and I am enmovable vanes 40 comprising the operating liquid on the side toward which they are moving,-and forcing-it through the restricted passages already described. 1

The general operation of the shock=absorber is substantially as that described in my prior patent above mentioned, and the valved by-passes 59 permit movement of the shock absorber in one direction with relatively small resistance, but ofi'er greater resistance to its movement in the other direction. The leakage grooves or by-passes 62 tend to permit free floating movement adja- I cent the middle of the normal range of operation, and the throttling device 49 provides an extremely fine adjustment for by-passing fluid around the movable vanes at all times.

The reservoir 27 provides a means for storing'a reserve supply of hydraulic fluid which is fed to the working chambers through'the valved conduits 55 and 56 and the air bubbles in the working chamber 33 are automatically exhausted by the air passage 63.

The cover 46 is adapted to provide a closure which will prevent any leakage of hydraulic fluid withoutthe use of gaskets, and any leakage which does pass the-seating surface provided on the cover 46 is collected in the conduit 54 and returned to the reservoir 27 through conduits 39. It Will thus be observed that While the threaded portion of the cover sure tending to force the liquid pastthe threads would be'that due to the hydrostatic head, due to the depth of liquid in the reservoir. Since the cover 46 is located directly over one end of the working chamber, it is possible to remove, the cover and observe the working parts of the ,shockabsorber in their proper'relative position, and this is of great advantage in the repair and maintenance of hydraulic shock absorbers.

It will thus be observed that I have invented a novel shock absorber structure in which the casing is adapted to be closed effectively against leakage of any hydraulic fluid without the use of any gaskets, by means of the provision of return conduits for conducting any leakage back to the reserve reservoir. My shock absorber includes a novel throttling mechanism structure which is more eflective in providing a fine adjustment and Which is more economical and more easily sorber are readlly accessible and the interlor smay be inspected by merely removing a single 1 threaded member.

manufactured than any of the throttling mechanisms of the prior art.

By providing a structure which can be constructed of ordinary cast iron, I have greatly decreased the cost of manufacture over shock absorbers of the prior art and by the elimination of gaskets for positioning the working parts, I have greatly decreased the diificulties of maintenance and repair.

All of the working parts of my shock ab- While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a hydraulic shock absorber, the combination of a casing with a partition forming a reservoir and a working chamber, a plurality of fixed vanes carried by said partition and engaging in slots in said casing, a closure having a leakage chamber, said slots forming conduits from said reservoir to said leakage chamber.

'2. In a hydraulic shock absorber, the com bination of a casing with a partition forming a reservoir and a working chamber, a plurality of fixed vanes carried by said partition and engaging in slots in said casing, a closure having a seating surface engaging said casing, threaded means for securing said closure 7 in place, said casing having a leakage conduit formed outside said seating surface, said conduit communicating with said reservoir through one of said slots.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of December, 1928.

HENRY H. LOGAN. 

